Railway-crossing



c. v, HOUK AND T. w. BERRY. RAILWAY CROSSING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY27,1920.

1,389,560. PatentedAug- 30,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

C. V. HOUK AND T. W. BERRY.

RAILWAY CROSSING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21. 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Patented Aug. 30, 1921. i

liimwm NTOR CL/FFO/D 00K BY 7HOMA6 fil/ BE/GEY ATTORNEY UNITED s'rA'rrs EPALIEN'T OFFICE.

CLIFFORD V. HOUK AND THOMAS W. BERRY, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA; SAID BERRY ASSIGN'OR OF ONE-THIRD OF HIS RIGHT TO SAID HOUK.

RAILWAY-CROSSING.

Application filed May 27,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CLIFFORD V. HOUK and THOMAS W. BERRY, citizens of the United States, residing at San Diego, in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Railway-Crossings, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to railway crossings, more particularly to mechanical means operated by the approaching vehicle for turning and positioning the groove at the joint of the crossing for taking the flange of the wheel so that the extraordinary noises and are are eliminated at crossings and the Objects of our invention areifirst, to provide a railway crossing so constructed that the track upon which the base of the wheel rolls is level in the direction the vehicle is going; second, to provide a railway crossing of this class in which the joint at the intersection of the grooves for taking the flange of the wheel is provided with a revoluble member provided with a single groove adapted to be turned in alinement with the direction the vehicle is approaching the crossing; third, to provide a railway crossing of this class in which said revolving parts are locked securely in their position for receiving the flange of the wheel and remain in locked position until released by a vehicle coming from another direction; fourth, to provide a railway crossing of this class in which the operating mechanism is actuated by a releasing lever engaged by the vehicle wheel which unlocks the I'QVO? luble member, thenimmediately operating a lever which revolves the revoluble 'member aone quarter revolution positioning it in alinement with the approach of the vehicle and lockingit in position and locking the operating levers in inoperative position; fifth, to provide a railway crossing ofthis class whlch ismade up of units so thatit is operative with single or double crossings as desired, each unit consisting of the four intersecting points and the four intersecting points connected so that they operate in unison and sixth, to provide an apparatus of this class which is simple and economical of construction, durable, easy to install,positive inits action, which will not readily deteriorate orI get out of order and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1920. Serial No. 384,581,

on which the vehicle rides 011 the face of the wheel at all times and not on the flan e as in some devices of this class. b

With these and other objects in view as will appear hereinafter our invention cons sts of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon which form a part of this application in which Figure 1 is a top or plan view of a double crossing showing two units of the operating apparatus only, Fig. 2 is a sectional view through 2-2 of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale showing the details of the operating mechanism; F ig, 3 is a sectional view through 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a plan viewof the crossing; shown upside down from its, normal position and showing the operating mechanism fragmentarily; Fig.5 1s a bottom view of one of the units in a slightly modified form from that of the other views of the drawings and Fig. 6 is a similar view of the same in another modified form. 2

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the several views of the drawings.

The rail frame 1, revoluble member 2, disk 3, ball arm 4, connecting rod 5, levers 6, 7 and 8, link members 9 and. 10, link 11', releasing lever 12, connecting rod 13, lever 14, support 15, latch member 16, spring 17 and connecting rods 18 constitute the principal parts and portions of one unit consisting of the four intersecting points of the crossing and the operating mechanism. The rail frame 1 is of the conventional type of railway crossing frame work. The

point ofintersection of the grooves is eliminated however and there is provided a revoluble member 2 positioned directly at the intersection point of the flange grooves. This revoluble member 2 is cylindrical in form and of greater diameter at its upper end than at its lower endand is positioned in conforming recess in the intersecting point of the crossing so that its uppersurface is flush with the upper surface of the rail and it is provided with a groove extending across the face conforming to the groove in the rail.

It will be noted that the rail joint at the intersection of the various members of the frame is enlarged at these intersections for reinforcing and supporting this revoluble member 2. It is provided on the lower face of the rail member with a collar 2 for holding it securely in position and preventing its rising in the rail. Secured on the lower end of this revoluble member 2 is the disk member 3 which is provided in one side with a notch 3 shown best in Fig. 4. Secured to this disk member is an arm e which is provided with a ball on its extended end adapted for connection with the connecting rod 5 at one of its ends and the opposite end of the connecting rod 5 connects with the free end of lever 6 which is pivotally mounted at its opposite end on the frame 1. Pivotally connected to this lever 6 intermediate its ends is a link member 9 and the opposite end of the linkmember 9 is pivotally connected to the free end of a lever 7 which is also pivotally mounted at its opposite end on the frame 1 and pivotally connected to this lever 7 intermediate its ends is another link member 10, the opposite end of which is pivotally connected to a lever S which is one of the actuating levers for revolving the member 2 and this lever is pivotally mounted on the frame 1 intermediate its ends at a point 1 and its short end extends to a position near the face of the rail, when in operative position. Intermediate this pivotal mounting 1 and the comiection of the link 10 this lever 8 is provided with a pin 8 on which is mounted the link 11 by means of a slot 11 which permits certain longitudinal shifting of the link 11 relatively to the lever 8. The opposite end of this link 11 is pivotally connected to another operatinglever 12 which performs the primary function of releasing the latches before the revolution of the revoluble member 2. This lever 12 is pivotally mounted at a point 1 on the frame 1 and it is preferably provided with a curved portion 12 which extends to flush with the top of the rail when in operative position and is adapted to receive the wheel flange for depressing the portion 12 and operating the lever 12. Pivotally connected between the point 1 and the long end of the lever 12 isthe rod 13 which extends some distance past the revoluble member 2 and is pivotally connected to a lever 14 which is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends upon a support 15 which support 15- is secured to the frame 1 and to the same end of the lever 14 that the rod 13 is connected is secured a tension spring 17 which is also secured to the frame at its opposite end at a point 1. The opposite end of this lever 14 is provided with a projecting pin 14 which is adapted to operate in a slot 16 in the latch 16 which is pivotally mounted on the frame 1 at a point 1, thus providing for the shifting of the free end of the latch 16 with the movement of the lever 14 by means of the rod 13 and lever 12.

Thus it will be noted that when the flange of the wheel engages the portion 12 of the lever 12 said portion is depressed throwing the opposite end of the lever 12 backwardly shifting the rod 18, longitudinally extending the spring 17 and shifting the latch 16 out of engagement with the notch 3 at the same time the link 11 engages the, pin 8 and partially revolves the member 2 through the multiple levers and connecting rods as hereinbefore described so that the latch will not again engage the notch and as the wheel passes onward it engages the short end of the lever 8 which revolves the member 2 a remainder of a quarter of a revolution so that the groove in the member 2 is in a position at a direct right angle to its former position and ready to receive the flange of the wheel in its passage over the intersection of the rail joint and that the upper ends of the levers 8 and 12 will remain depressed and in inoperative position until released by a vehicle approaching in another direction.

The revoluble members 2 of the four intersections of the rails which would form an ordinary single rail crossing are connected together in unison so that the four members revolve together by means of rods 18 which are provided with turn buckles for adjusting them to proper lengths so that when one of the revoluble members 2 of said unit revolves the other three likewise revolve. However, in Fig. 5 there is provided means for connecting these units by means of a chain which connect with these'disks 3 for operating them in unison and in Fig. 6 is disclosed a belt for performing the same function, the object being simply to operate the four so that they revolve in unison with the revolution of one.

In a double crossing as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings there are used eight units of the operating mechanism for revolving the revoluble member 2, for instance as shown in Figs. 1 and 1, the one unit on the approach side connects with the first unit the one in connection with the otherrail connects with the second unit so that there are two of these operating units at each approach side of a double railway crossing, the rods 13 being extended to the proper position for connecting with one of the members 3 of each unit for releasing and partially revolving and the rod 5 similarly connected for revolving the remainder of the quarter revolution, it being noted that the revoluble members 2 revolve back and forth on a quarter revolution depending on the approach of the vehicle to the crossing.

It will be noted that all of the connecting rods are provided with turn buckles for adj ustment to provide the proper movement of the different revoluble members.

Though we have shown and described a particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions and a certain modification thereof we do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement nor the modification thereof but desire to include in the purview of our invention the construction, combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims. 7

It is obvious that with this construction there is provided a railway crossing in which the intersection of the grooves for receiving the flange of a vehicle wheel are revolved by the vehicle in its approach to the crossing so that the face of the wheel rides on a level plane in crossing the intersection of the rails and grooves of a railway crossing.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A railway crossing, including a rail frame Work, a revoluble member positioned at each rail intersection, compound lever and connecting means in connection with four of said revoluble members adapted to be en gaged by the flange of the vehicle wheel as it approaches said crossing for separately and progressively revolving four of said revoluble members simultaneously a portion of a revolution and latch means in connection with said revoluble member operated by a portion only of said lever mechanism for supporting said revoluble member in a certain position and for releasing the same upon the approach of a vehicle.

2. A railway crossing, including a frame work of railway rails provided with flange grooves therein, a revoluble member with a single groove mounted at each intersection of said railway rails, a multiple lever and connecting means actuated by the vehicle wheel for separately and progressively revolving four of said revoluble members simultaneously a portion of a revolution only with the approach of the vehicle and means in connection with a portion only of said multiple lever means for locking said revoluble member in its turned position whereby said levers are held in a position not engageable by other vehicle wheels until released by a vehicle going in another directended member and hold it in certain position and another lever adapted to be engaged by the wheel for operating said latch and slightly revolve said extended member.

4:. A railway crossing, including a frame work of intersecting rails, a revoluble member forming the intersecting portion of said rails provided with a groove conforming to the grooves for taking the flange of the wheel in said rail, an extended member connected to said revoluble member below said rails, a lever pivotally mounted upon the rail, engageable by the wheel, means connecting said lever with said extended member where by said extended member is revolved with the movement of said lever by the wheel, a latch adapted to engage said extended member and hold it in certain position, another lever adapted to be engaged by the wheel for operating said latch and means connecting said levers whereby one-of said levers is slightly operated with the movement of said latch operating lever and a partial movement of said extended member is effected.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands at San Diego, California, this 20th day of May 1920.

CLIFFORD v. HOUK. THOMAS w. BERRY. 

